1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fenestration products, such as a door assembly, for installation into a house or building. More particularly, the present invention concerns an improved strike plate which reduces the risk of intrusion through the door.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Those ordinarily skilled in the construction industry will appreciate that building security is highly dependant upon the strength of the exterior door assemblies. That is to say, intruders will often gain access to a building through an exterior door, and security of that structure may consequently be improved by reducing the risk of unauthorized access through the door. This has been previously indicated in our application for U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 08/864,547, filed May 28, 1997, entitled REINFORCEMENT MEMBER FOR A FENESTRATION PRODUCT, assigned of record to the assignee of the present invention.
Our prior invention is particularly designed to address this problem by securing the door framework (e.g., one of the door jambs) to a reinforcement member fixed between the floor and the header of the structure. We have now determined that it would also be helpful to improve the locking and/or latching engagement of the door with the framework. However, to save significant time and expense, it would be highly desirable to accomplish this without sacrificing conventional door lock and latch designs.